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Supported by a local Friends chapter, Hard Labor Creek offers a wide range of recreational opportunities in a beautiful wooded setting. A lakeside beach is popular with swimmers during summer months, and more than 24 miles of trails are available for hikers and horseback riders. Horse owners even have their own private camping area near stalls. Other overnight guests can choose from fully equipped cottages or a modern campground.

Supported by a local Friends chapter and with modern-day facilities amidst reminders of days gone by, Hamburg State Park offers a wonderful mix of history and outdoor recreation. A campground offers shaded sites along the edge of quiet Hamburg Lake fed by the Little Ogeechee River. Open seasonally, this self-registration campground provides hot showers, water and electric hookups, and a dump station. Anglers can enjoy fishing for largemouth bass, crappie and bream, as well as boat ramps and a fishing pier.

Supported by a local Friends chapter, Georgia’s largest state park is a hiker’s and backpacker’s haven. More than 40 miles of trails, including the popular 23-mile Pine Mountain Trail, wind through hardwood and pines, over creeks and past small waterfalls. Many visitors are surprised to find rolling mountains 80 miles southeast of Atlanta. Above King’s Gap is Dowdell’s Knob where President Franklin D. Roosevelt sometimes picnicked and pondered world affairs. A life-size sculpture of the president now welcomes visitors to the overlook.

Supported by a local Friends chapter, Chattahoochee Bend State Park showcases a spectacular tract of wilderness in northwest Coweta County. Located in a graceful bend of the Chattahoochee River, the park is a haven for paddlers, campers and anglers. At 2,910 acres, Chattahoochee Bend is one of Georgia’s largest state parks, protecting five miles of river frontage. A boat ramp provides easy access to the water, while more than six miles of wooded trails are open for hiking and nature photography. An observation platform provides nice views of the river and forest.

Supported by a local Friends chapter, this pretty park west of Augusta is best known for its equestrian facilities, Confederate museum and lakeside group camp. Horseback riders can explore 21 miles of trails and stay overnight in their own campground. Overnight guests can choose from lakeside cottages or a modern campground, while large groups can enjoy privacy in the park’s group camp or pioneer campground. Visitors can enjoy geocaching, fishing and boating, while also learning about a key officer in the American Civil War.